


All The Little Things

by gayspacepilots



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff, M/M, The Sulu Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-09 15:39:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 7,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8897548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayspacepilots/pseuds/gayspacepilots
Summary: “Did you ever think that we’d be parents?” Hikaru whispered while playing with Demora’s wispy hair.“Yeah,” Ben answered simply, “Yeah, I did.” He smiled, running his thumb down their daughter’s nose. “But I never thought we would be able to have a child that’s from us. Both of us,” He murmured into the quiet room.





	1. The Things You Said at 1 A.M

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, gals and non binary pals! Sorry I haven't been very active on this site recently. I got a job a few months ago and it has consumed my life, giving me no time to do anything. Anyways, I've had this story done for 2 months and I've been trying to find enough time to post it and the other 4 tumblr prompt stories that I took on and finished. 
> 
> Okay, rant over, this story comes from [these](http://mighty-poffertjes.tumblr.com/post/149158562729/send-me-a-ship-and-one-of-these-and-ill-write-a) tumblr prompts.  
> I hope you enjoy them!

“I’ll get it,” Ben mumbled at the sound of their newborn daughter crying. He shuffled out from under the covers and into Demora’s room.

“I’ll help,” Hikaru muttered back, rubbing at his eyes and heading to the kitchen to prepare a bottle for Demora. When Hikaru joined Ben in her room, Ben had Demora in his arms with a soother in her mouth. Hikaru thought she looked adorable, with her eyes shut and suckling lightly on the soother.

Hikaru sat next to them and replaced Demora’s soother with the bottle. 

“Did you ever think that we’d be parents?” Hikaru whispered while playing with Demora’s wispy hair. 

“Yeah,” Ben answered simply, “Yeah, I did.” He smiled, running his thumb down their daughter’s nose. “But I never thought we would be able to have a child that’s from us. Both of us,” He murmured into the quiet room.

“She’s beautiful,” Hikaru hummed, resting his head on Ben’s shoulder.

“She’s got your eyes,” Ben smiled, pressing his cheek into Hikaru’s hair.

“And your sleep cycle,” Hikaru joked, laughing tiredly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so what did you think? Please let me know, I love hearing from all of you. Also, mighty-poffertjes wrote a story based on these prompts and her story can be found [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7838458/chapters/17894905). Please check out her out on [tumblr](http://mighty-poffertjes.tumblr.com/) and on AO3 at [pissedofsandwich](http://archiveofourown.org/users/pissedofsandwich/pseuds/pissedofsandwich).


	2. The Things You Said Through Your Teeth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben gets caught in an alternate dimension and meets a mirror version of his husband.

“Who are you?” Ben spat, writhing against his restraints.

“What, you don’t recognize me?” The other man smirked, “Your own husband?”

Ben narrowed his eyes at the man, unamused.

“Hikaru Sulu?” The man tried, trailing a long finger down Ben’s face. Ben winced, he was terrified, but he was trying his best not to show it.

“This is not Hikaru,” Ben thought to himself, “This is not my ‘Ru.”

“Such a shame,” Mirror Hikaru cackled, grabbing a knife from a nearby table. “My Ben died before I could put him to good use. But now...I’ve got another one...and I’m not going to let him leave my sight.”

“You’re not Hikaru,” Ben seethed, glaring at scarred man.

The man tsked, “I’m not? Oh, but I thought I was.” He ran his knife lightly over the surface of Ben’s chest, “You should know, I’m your partner.” He articulated, poking his knife at Ben’s wedding ring.

 

Ben tensed, he wanted to break out of his bonds and run away from this terrible man. This man who had no right to call himself Hikaru Sulu. “Hikaru would never do anything like this. Hikaru wouldn’t hurt a fly, there’s no way he would hurt and torture an innocent person.” Ben cried to himself, trying to get away from this horrible nightmare, “Please, give me back my ‘Ru.” He pleaded.

“It’s too bad,” The man sneered, chuckling quietly, “You’ll never get to see your Hikaru ever again.” Before Ben could ask what the man meant, he took his knife and stabbed it into his chest, just inches away from his heart.

Ben felt an extreme amount of pain radiating out of his chest before everything went black.

“Oh, ‘Ru...I’m so sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then Ben got beamed up and taken to medbay, where Bones saved his life and Hikaru cried tears of joy. He stayed by Ben's side, clutching his hand until he woke up and showered him in an array of kisses.


	3. The Things You Said Too Quietly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikaru's cold and just wants to cuddle his husband.

Hikaru mumbled something against Ben’s chest.

“What was that?” Ben asked, turning to his husband.

“‘m cold,” He mumbled, slightly louder than before.

Ben chuckled, “Really? How can you be cold?” Ben gestured to the man who was wearing two sweaters, a wool hat and three additional sweaters wrapped around him. “You’re wearing every warm piece of clothing we own. There’s no way you are cold!”

“But I am!” Hikaru groaned, making grabby hands at Ben.

Ben rolled his eyes and climbed under the cover with his cold husband.

“Mmmm, you’re warm,” Hikaru hummed, pressing his face into Ben’s neck.

“Good, maybe now you’ll finally get warm,” Ben joked, wrapping his arms around Hikaru’s waist. Hikaru shivered as he wedged his leg in between Ben’s legs. “Did you actually shiver?” Ben asked, baffled.

Hikaru nodded.

“Are you okay?” Ben asked, his voice turning from amused to concerned.

Hikaru smiled, “Yeah, you’re very warm… it’s relaxing.”

“You’re not sick, are you?” Ben questioned, pressing his hand against Hikaru’s forehead.

Hikaru mentally rolled his eyes, “I’m not sick, Ben. I was just cold.”

“Hmmm, well you are a little cold and lately you have been very tired and out of energy. Does your body ache? Or do you have a sore throat or cough or chest pains? Are you-”

“Ben!” Hikaru interrupted, “I’m not sick, I don’t have the flu, I’m just cold and I want to cuddle with you.”

Ben smiled, “Well, I can’t resist cuddling with you.” Ben reached over and turned off their bedside table lamp. After which, he pulled Hikaru tight against his chest and buried his face into his hair. He fell asleep to the sound of Hikaru’s even breathing.


	4. The Things You Said Over The Phone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikaru is having nightmares, but luckily, Ben is willing to help.

Five years in space is a long time. This thought had crossed Hikaru’s mind more times than he could count and left him with a feeling of loneliness. When he dreamed, he dreamed of his family and their home on Yorktown. 

But unfortunately, those dreams didn’t come as regular as his nightmares. Where Ben would scream at him, “Why did you leave us? We move for you and this is how you repay us?” Demora would wail, shouting that he destroyed their family, “I hate you! Papa’s found me a new Daddy!”

Hikaru would wake up in cold sweats, terrified that his nightmares were true. At times like this, he would often call Ben, praying that the man would answer his call. Even though it was usually 03:00 in the morning on Yorktown.

“‘Ru?” Ben yawned, rubbing at his eyes.

“Hey,” Hikaru croaked.

“What’s wrong?” Ben asked, squinting at the screen.

“Nothing...” Hikaru mumbled.

“‘Ru, you wouldn’t be calling me at… 02:43 if nothing was wrong.”

Hikaru sighed. “I miss you,” He admitted.

“Nightmares again?” Ben questioned, looking sadly at Hikaru.

Hikaru nodded.

“Brew yourself some tea,” Ben suggested, “You know, the real stuff.”

“Which one?” He chuckled lightly.

“How about that one you got on Risa last month?” Ben recommended.

Hikaru shook his head, “I think I’ll go with the oolong that you sent me on my birthday.”

Ben smiled, “That’s a good choice.”

 

Ben waited for a moment before speaking again, “Are you going to be okay?”

Hikaru took a deep breath and spoke, “I’d be better if you were here... but yeah, I’ll be okay.”

“We love you,” Ben hummed, holding his hand against the screen.

“I love you too,” Hikaru exhaled before their connection got cut off.

And when he brewed his tea, he thought about his family, waiting for him at home. 


	5. The Things You Didn’t Say At All

Hikaru doesn’t say it. He figures it’s pretty self-explanatory. He doesn’t bother to tell Ben how much he’s missed him.

Ben knows. Ben knows that Hikaru misses him. Hikaru can see it in the little side glances he gives him. He can see it whenever Ben mouths a worried, “Are you okay?”

And Hikaru just nods because he is okay. He’s been reunited with his family after 3 long years. The feeling of loneliness has been replaced by hope, by love.

 

Hikaru looks down at Demora, who has her arms wrapped around his neck. He gently rests his head against her own, hoping that this makes up for all the times he wasn’t there, all the times that he missed, the memories he was told about, rather than a part of.

He whispers little, “I love you’s,” Into their ears. He presses soft kisses to their temples, their cheeks and their heads. Anything to make him feel like part of the family again. He doesn’t tell them that he missed them. He doesn’t waste time by repeating that over and over and over again. Instead he tells them how much he loves them. He makes promises to them about what they will do while he’s home. He tells Demora that he will walk her to school tomorrow and he’ll visit Ben at work to give him his lunch.

 

That night, he reads Demora a bedtime story for the first time ever. He cuddles up to Ben and cries into his chest, thinking about all the times he wasn’t at home, all the things he missed. Ben lets him cry and wipes away his tears when he’s done. Ben kisses him multiple times, murmuring,

“It’s okay.”

“You’re home.”

“We love you.”

Hikaru falls asleep with a smile on his face for the first time in three years.


	6. The Things You Said Under The Stars and In The Grass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sulu Family's moving and Ben can't wait.

“That’s where we’re going to be living, Dem,” Ben whispered, holding a very small Demora in his arms, pointing at the stars.

Hikaru laughed quietly from beside him, before turning to Ben and asking, “Are you sure about this? You don’t have to move. Plus, Dem’s just a baby, she doesn’t need the extra risk of living in space.”

Ben sighed, “Yes, I’m sure. You were right, Yorktown will be an excellent place for Demora to grow up.”

“But I-”

“And Hikaru, we live in space. Whether we’re planetside or on a starbase, we will always be in space. Also, Vulcan shows that even on a planet, we’re not necessarily safe.” Ben reached over and gave one of Hikaru’s hands a squeeze, “So, I would rather follow you into space and have our family closer together, than further apart, with the same risks.”

Hikaru smiled, “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

“You called me beautiful during one of our botany seminars and I thought it was endearing, so I asked you on a date.” Ben replied, kissing Hikaru's hand.

 

“Yorktown,” Hikaru hummed, staring up at the stars.

“Two weeks,” Ben murmured, “Two weeks and we can start our new lives. Our new home.”

“Two weeks and my family gets to know what it’s like to live out in space.”

Ben leaned over and gave Hikaru a long kiss. “I’m excited. I want to know what it’s like to live among the stars… other than the two stars I have at home,” Ben whispered, glancing in between his husband and their newborn daughter.

“It’s beautiful,” Hikaru beamed, “You two are going to love it.”


	7. The Things You Said While We Were Driving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikaru takes Ben out to see the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The things you said while we were ~~driving~~ flying.

“So, what do you think?” Hikaru asked from the pilot’s seat on the borrowed Yorktown shuttle.

“It’s beautiful,” Ben hummed, looking out at the stars, “It reminds me of the 5 week trip from Earth. You know, when we brought Dem out here.”  
“Does this get rid of your fear of flying?” Hikaru joked, glancing over at his husband.  
“No, but I trust you when you’re at the helm.”  
“I sure hope so. I fly ships for a living,” Hikaru laughed.  
“Well, you’re doing a fantastic job,” Ben murmured, leaning over to kiss Hikaru’s cheek. Hikaru flicked a few switches, putting the shuttle on autopilot before sitting back, admiring the constellations in front of them.

“Dem loves it out here,” Ben whispered, linking their hands together. “She always points towards the stars and says, ‘There’s Daddy! Daddy’s out there!’ It’s adorable!”  
“Really?” Hikaru breathed, looking over at Ben.  
“You know she’s going to join Starfleet when she’s older.” Ben added, resting his head on Hikaru's shoulder.  
“No, I bet that she’s going to be a xenobotanist, like you,” Hikaru argued, squeezing Ben’s hand.  
Ben chuckled, “Well that’s one bet you’re going to lose.”  
“I’ll bet 20 credits that she ends up being a xenobotanist.” Hikaru challenged.  
Ben smirked, “I’ll raise you 20 credits that she joins Starfleet and becomes a pilot.”  
“You’re on!” Hikaru grinned, shaking Ben’s hand.

Fourteen years later, Demora Sulu graduates Starfleet Academy at the top of her class. She becomes the helmsman of the Enterprise B and earns a master’s in xenobotany. Her dads are extremely proud.


	8. The Things You Said When You Were Crying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben gets beamed back to the Enterprise injured and Hikaru's beyond worried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a sequel to chapter 2, “The Things You Said Through Your Teeth (Mirror Verse)”.

Hikaru was relieved when he saw Ben’s figure appear on the transport padd. But his relief was quickly consumed by guilt and worry when he saw Ben bleeding out on the floor. He felt sick to his stomach, his head went fuzzy and he collapsed to the floor.

* * *

 

Bones had rushed Ben to sickbay and performed an emergency surgery that just barely saved the man’s life. Once Hikaru woke up, he was pacing back and forth in the waiting room, biting at the heel of his hand.

“He’s going to be okay,” Bones spoke up, walking towards the worried man.

Hikaru let out a sigh of relief.

“Really?” He breathed, looking at Bones with a distraught look.

Bones nodded and gestured to the bed were Ben was lying, unconscious.

Hikaru ran to Ben’s side, sitting in the chair next to his biobed. There was a large bandaged area overtop of Ben’s heart. Hikaru felt his heart go cold at the sight.

“Oh Ben,” He cried, burying his head into Ben’s shoulder.

“‘Ru?”

Hikaru’s head shot up, just in time to see Ben’s eyes crack open.

“Hey sweetie,” Ben croaked, weakly raising his arm towards Hikaru.

Hikaru leaned forward and grabbed his hand. “Ben,” Hikaru bawled, “What happened? Who did this to you?”

Ben hesitated for a minute.

“Ben?” Hikaru asked, concerned, “Who did this? Who hurt you?”

Ben sighed before answering, “You did...”

“What?” Hikaru gasped, confused, “What are you talking about?”

“Not you, you. But some alternate version of you. An evil you.” Ben explained, “He looked like you, but if you removed all your kindness and heart and love. And replaced that with hatred, torture and terror.”

Hikaru felt his heart ache. “Ben, oh Ben,” Hikaru sobbed, climbing on top of Ben and wrapping his arms around him. “I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have to go through that. Are you okay?”

Ben smiled, linking his fingers with Hikaru’s, “Yeah, I’m safe now.”


	9. The Things You Said When I Was Crying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikaru and Ben are getting married. They take the time to discuss their future and important matters.

Ben had never been so happy. He smiled brightly at his husband as he wiped the tears from his own face.

“Ben,” Hikaru cooed, “Ben, are you okay?”

Ben sniffed, cupping Hikaru’s cheeks, “Yeah, I’m incredible. I’m overjoyed.”

“Are you sure?” Hikaru asked softly, wiping the remaining tears from Ben’s face.

“Yes, I’m sure.” Ben answered, “I’ve got a beautiful husband that is going on a romantic honeymoon trip with me and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him.”

Hikaru beamed, kissing the sobbing man on the lips, “Well, I can’t wait to start a family with my gorgeous husband. Because our children are going to be beautiful and smart and we’re going to love them.”

* * *

 

“Girl, boy or non-binary?” Hikaru whispered during dinner.

“Girl. I always wanted a daughter.” Ben smiled as he ate their wedding cake.

“Me too,” Hikaru hummed, leaning against Ben.

* * *

 

“What is her name going to be?” Ben murmured into Hikaru’s ear, halfway through their first dance.

“How about Orchid?” Hikaru suggested quietly.

“What about Miya?”

“Or Akira?”

“Rose?”

“What about Demora?” Hikaru whispered, kissing Ben’s jaw.

“You want to name her after my grandmother?” Ben asked, looking down at his husband.

“Yeah, why not?” Hikaru shrugged, “It’s a beautiful, unique name. What do you think?”

Ben was quiet for several moments before he spoke again, with tears in his eyes. “Demora,” He hummed, “I love that and you’re right, it is beautiful.”


	10. The Things You Said That Made Me Feel Like Shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben's always there when Hikaru needs him.

_“You know what,” Ben scoffed, “Maybe we shouldn't even be together.”_

_Hikaru was stunned, there’s no way Ben would say that._

_But he did._

_“That would just be easier. So much easier than this shit.”_

_“Ben, please,” Hikaru pleated desperately._

_Ben shook his head._

_“Goodbye Hikaru,” He muttered before shutting the apartment door behind him._

 

* * *

 

“‘Ru! ‘Ru!”

Hikaru shot up, clutching at his sweat stained shirt.

“‘Ru, are you okay?” A soft voice murmured. Hikaru could feel a hand on the small of his back, a thumb rubbing soft lines on his skin. “‘Ru, baby, are you alright?” Hikaru looked to his left and found Ben sitting up, looking worried. “Are you okay?” Ben repeated, his voice breaking, “You were thrashing around in your sleep and sobbing. I tried to wake you, but I couldn’t… I felt horrible.”

Hikaru, still trying to even out his breaths, gave a weak smile. “Yeah, I just… I had a horrible dream.” He explained, resting his head on Ben’s shoulder. Ben wrapped his arms around Hikaru and pulled him down towards the bed. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Hikaru sucked in a breath before he answered. “Well I always feel better when I talk to you, so yeah. I do want to talk about it.”

Ben pulled the covers up to their chins and held Hikaru tight against his body. He kissed the top of Hikaru’s head, as if to say, “It’s okay. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

 

“We were fighting about something... I can’t remember what it was about, but it got really heated and you said that maybe we shouldn’t be together. That it would be easier if we weren’t. And then you just left, out the door.” There was a long pause before Hikaru spoke again, “And that’s when I woke up.”

Ben felt his heart drop in his chest. “Oh ‘Ru, sweetie,” He cooed.

“But it’s okay, it’s over,” Hikaru mumbled, nuzzling into Ben’s shoulder.

Ben made a line of kisses down Hikaru’s head. “‘Ru... ‘Ru, you have to know that I would never say that. I would never even think that, because I love you, we love each other and I’m never going to stop loving you. You’re everything to me and I would never hurt you.”

Hikaru smiled, leaning up to give Ben a smooch, “I know. It was a nightmare, it wasn’t you. It wasn’t my Ben. My Ben would never say anything like that.”

 

Ben let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I love you,” He said with a kiss.

“I love you too,” Hikaru hummed, pressing their foreheads together.

“Love… you… so… much… honey… so much.” Ben spoke in between small kisses.

They both knew, there was nothing that could tear their family apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed the twist because it’s painful to write these two fighting.


	11. The Things You Said When You Were Drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikaru's wants more kids and Ben just wants his drunk husband to sleep.

“You’re… pretty,” Hikaru mumbled, swaying in his seat, pointing at Ben.

“Yes I am,” Ben answered slowly, replacing Hikaru’s 7th beer with a glass of water. The man was so out of it, he didn’t even notice the change.

“We… should get… married,” He hiccuped.

Ben resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. “‘Ru, we are married,” Ben replied, going into the bathroom to search for the hangover hypos that Hikaru would need tomorrow morning.

“We are?” Ben heard Hikaru gasp from the living room.

“Yes, we got married 10 years ago,” Ben hollered, grabbing the hypos from the bathroom cabinet and bringing them into the bedroom. “We have three children, who are staying at Bones’s place tonight.”

“Oh right,” Hikaru giggled when Ben returned to the living room. He sat next to his drunken husband on the couch and pulled him into his lap, hoping the man would fall asleep.

 

* * *

 

“We should have… some… more kids,” Hikaru slurred, his head falling against Ben’s bicep.

“I think three is a good place to stop ‘Ru,” Ben yawned, his head resting on the arm of the couch.

“No... we should have more,” Hikaru argued.

“How many more?”

“Ten more!” Hikaru cheered.

Ben shook his head, “We’re not having ten more kids.”

Hikaru frowned, “You’re no fun!”

Ben sighed, “If you quit you’re whining, I’ll let us have one more child.”

Hikaru gasped, “Yay!” Before his stomach made a strange gurgling sound and he ran for the bathroom. Ben rolled his eyes as he followed Hikaru to the bathroom. He was glad that Hikaru would not remember any of today’s events, the next morning.


	12. The Things You Said When You Thought I Was Asleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this was for, “The Things You Said Too Quietly,” but this fit better here. So I wrote another one for “The Things You Said Too Quietly.”

_“I’m going to marry you.”_

Hikaru whispered it so quietly, Ben didn’t hear him. And when Hikaru said it again, Ben was in a deep sleep, completely unaware of Hikaru’s confession. It was something Hikaru knew from the moment he met Ben. Ever since they made eye contact, Hikaru knew he wanted to marry him. Hikaru found that the more he learned about Ben, the more he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him.

It became part of Hikaru’s routine, to whisper the thought into Ben’s ear, after the man was in a heavy sleep. There were many times where Ben wasn’t quite asleep and Hikaru would whisper the words into his ear and Ben would mumble a, “Mmmm, what was that?”

After that, Hikaru would only whisper the thought when he would wake up early in the morning, when he needed to take a midnight bathroom break, when Ben collapsed onto their bed after an exhausting day at work. He would run his hand through Ben’s bed head, watching as the man nuzzled into his touch, still in a deep sleep.

He would whisper, “I’m going to marry you,” Into his ear, his neck, his chest.

 

Until one day, where Hikaru murmured, “I’m going to be your husband,” Into Ben’s ear, while they were making dinner. Hikaru didn’t realize what he said until after the words had spilled out of his mouth.

Ben turned around and looked Hikaru in the eyes. He whispered a, “Shit, you beat me to it,” Before pulling a shiny, spotless, Platinum ring out of his pocket and sliding it onto Hikaru’s finger.

Hikaru smiled and pulled his fiance into a fierce kiss.


	13. The Things You Said At The Kitchen Table

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikaru has some bad habits, but his luckily, his family is very forgiving.

“Oh man,” Hikaru moans, shoveling another spoonful of Ben’s cooking into his mouth. “This is so much better than the cardboard shit that the replicator spits out.”

Demora gasped, “Papa! Daddy said a bad word!”

Hikaru, realizing his mistake, tried to spit out an apology. “Oh shit! I mean… oh fuck… er damn it… sh-”

Luckily, Hikaru was stopped by Ben’s hand quickly covering his mouth before the man could let out some more, very colourful, vocabulary to their 8 year old daughter. Hikaru sent Ben a, “I’m sorry, it just slipped out and I couldn’t do anything about it and then it was too late,” look. Meanwhile, Ben shot Hikaru a not so threatening glare before heading back into the kitchen to grab another dish out of the oven.

“Might I remind you, we have a child?” Ben whispered in Hikaru’s ear when he returned from the kitchen, carrying a large cheesecake.

“Sorry,” Hikaru mouthed, looking extremely guilty.

Ben sighed. “It’s okay, she would have discovered them anyways. By the time she’s 16, she’ll probably use them regularly.” Ben answered Hikaru.

 

* * *

 

Hikaru did feel bad for accidentally teaching Demora three swears, but to his luck, Demora, being the sweetheart that her dads knew her as, didn’t swear until she was 20.

Well, that’s what they thought…

...but they all knew that was bullshit.


	14. The Things You Said After You Kissed Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikaru and Ben are cuddling, but Hikaru has some gas.

“Did you just fart?” Ben asked into the quiet bedroom.

“Yes,” Hikaru confessed, nuzzling his head into Ben’s neck.

“That’s fine, let out your demons,” Ben joked, drawing a snicker out of Hikaru. Ben pulled Hikaru towards him, but recoiled a few seconds later, “Oh, gross! That stinks!”

“Sorry,” Hikaru apologized.

Ben laughed, kissing Hikaru’s forehead, “It’s okay ‘Ru, I was only joking. It doesn’t smell at all.”

Hikaru playfully shoved at Ben’s shoulder. “You’re mean,” He mumbled, curling up into Ben’s side.

“I’m… sorry… I didn’t… mean to… hurt… your feelings,” Ben murmured in between the butterfly kisses he placed along Hikaru’s cheeks.

“I forgive you,” Hikaru smiled, running his hand along Ben’s stomach.

 

* * *

 

The two lay there until Hikaru fell asleep. Ben watched his husband’s uneven breaths, smiling softly at his relaxed state. It wasn’t very often that Hikaru was at home, so Ben cherished every moment he got to spend with his husband.

He placed a light kiss to Hikaru’s temple before falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based off a couple's headcanon post I saw a while ago. Which can be found [here](http://adenil-umano.tumblr.com/post/151200448755/opalclit-things-about-cuddling-that-fanfictions).


	15. The Things You Said With Too Many Miles Between Us

“When are you coming home again?” Ben asked, his voice strained.

Hikaru sighed, there was no use in lying, but sometimes the truth hurt more than a little lie. 

“Eight months,” Hikaru answered honestly and he could see the depressed look in Ben’s eyes. It pained Hikaru, watching Ben’s shoulders slump forward, his eyes trailing to the floor and his body quivering. Hikaru wished he could be there, home, with Ben. 

 

Ever since Demora had left for the Academy, Ben became a lot more distant. In their video calls, he was sitting there, but his mind was somewhere else. Hikaru and Ben were thrilled that Demora got into the Academy, but it hurt Hikaru to see Ben on his own; in their large two story house on Yorktown, all by himself. 

Ben would lie, he would put on a fake smile and say that everything was alright, that he was fine. But Hikaru knew he wasn't and he knew he couldn’t confront him about it, because that would make everything worse. 

Hikaru was worried, he wanted Ben to be happy. He wanted him to smile again, a real smile, a genuine smile. And whenever their calls would end, Hikaru felt worse than he did before their call. Ben felt the same way.

Hikaru didn’t know what this meant for their relationship. They loved each other, but Ben wasn’t himself anymore. Hikaru had debated resigning, taking a shuttle or a Kelvin pod back to Yorktown to see Ben again. To bring Ben back.

 

“Eight months,” Ben echoed.

“Okay, that’s it,” Hikaru cried to himself, “I can’t take it anymore.”

“Ben,” Hikaru murmured, ever so softly. 

Ben didn’t move.

“Do you want me to come home?” He asked, his voice just above a whisper.

Ben shook his head.

“I will.” Hikaru continued, “I know you’re hurting and it’s painful to watch you suffer like this…”

Ben curled in on himself and Hikaru felt like crying.

“I wanna help,” He whispered, tears running down his face.

 

It felt like an eternity passed until Ben slowly looked up and nodded his head.

Hikaru felt relief flood into his heart.

“Please come home,” Ben mouthed, his eyes squeezed shut. 

Hikaru smiled, “Okay, I’m coming, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

And for the first time in 2 years, Hikaru saw Ben smile. A real, genuine smile.

“My Ben’s back,” He murmured softly.

 

\----- _ Bonus----- _

 

Two weeks later, Hikaru showed up at their front door with red and white roses, for unity, one for every day that they were apart. Along with some sappy romantic movies and red tulips as a declaration of love and yellow tulips for hopelessly in love. 

And that was the happiest Hikaru had seen Ben; since the day they got married and the day Demora was born.

Hikaru made a promise that night, no matter how cliched it was, he was going to send Ben, one flower or plant, everyday. So that Ben had a little something to remind him of his family. It wasn’t long before Demora joined in and started sending packets of seeds from San Francisco’s marketplace.

Ben knew that his family loved him, but this time, he no longer felt he was alone on Yorktown. He was home and his family would always come home.


	16. The Things You Said With No Space Between Us

“Welcome home ‘Ru,” Ben purred, pulling the tired, naked man against him.

“It’s good to be home,” Hikaru murmured back, resting his head on Ben’s chest. “I missed this,” He hummed, running his hand along Ben’s side.

Ben smiled, kissing the top of Hikaru’s head, “I missed having you here, at night. The bed always felt so big and empty without you.”

“Yeah, but you always had Dem to join you if you got lonely.” Hikaru replied, “I just had my pillow that I would hug against my chest and pretend it was you.”

“Was the pillow a good substitute?” Ben laughed quietly, trying not to wake Demora in the next room.

“Ugh, it was terrible,” Hikaru joked, “It didn’t hug me back. It didn’t rub my back while I tried to sleep. It didn’t comfort me when I had a stressful day.”

Ben giggled and placed a kiss against Hikaru’s neck, “You’re ridiculous and I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Now be quiet,” Ben shushed, pulling the blankets over them, “I’m trying to sleep.” 

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot you need your beauty sleep,” Hikaru chuckled, throwing his leg across Ben’s.

“Without it, I would never look this good.”

“You look beautiful no matter what,” Hikaru hummed, kissing Ben’s chest.

“Oh hush,” Ben teased, ruffling his hand through Hikaru's hair before falling asleep.


	17. The Things You Said That I Wish You Hadn't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben's been baking and Hikaru was not supposed to be home.

“Oh my god,” Hikaru moaned, “This is incredible.”

“Thank you,” Ben smiled, turning around to face Hikaru before his face dropped. “Oh shit!” He shouted, slapping the cake out of Hikaru’s hands, “Hikaru don’t eat that!”

“Why? What’s in this?” Hikaru asked, clueless, turning around to shove another handful of cake into his mouth. 

“Banana,” Ben mumbled.

Hikaru’s eyes went wide, “What did you say?”

“Banana,” Ben repeated, frozen to the spot.

“Oh no,” Hikaru croaked before he sent Ben off to the bathroom to get one of his allergy reaction hypos.

“Okay, okay, okay,” Ben cried, running back to Hikaru, “You ready?”

“Yeah,” Hikaru gasped.

“Alright, 1...2...3!” Ben called before jabbing Hikaru in the neck with the hypo.

Hikaru groaned before sliding down the wall and sitting on the floor.

“Are you okay now?” Ben asked, sitting down in front of Hikaru and holding his hands with his own.

Hikaru nodded, “Yeah… just trying to… get my breathing back to normal.”

“I’m really sorry, Hikaru,” Ben mumbled, “I could have killed you.”

Hikaru shook it off, “But you didn’t and I’m not going to die from some dumb allergy.”

“You easily could have,” Ben countered, pulling Hikaru into his lap.

“Well, I’m fine now,” Hikaru smiled, resting his head on Ben’s shoulder. 

 

* * *

 

“By the way, why were you making something with banana in it anyways?” Hikaru asked, “We don’t even have them around for fruit eating, why were you baking with them?”

“Dem needed some baking for a class party and she wanted to bring a banana cake,” Ben explained, “And I thought, since you were out for the day… or, at least you were supposed to be. I thought I would make it, clean up the kitchen and have it put away before you got home.”

“Ahh,” Hikaru sighed, “That makes sense.”

“Maybe next time Dem will choose something that’s doesn’t have the potential to kill you.” Ben joked.

Hikaru laughed, “Or I’ll have to be more careful around your baking.”

“Can I make you something… as an apology?” Ben asked, looking guilty.

“If you make me a Chocolate Mousse, I will call it even.” Hikaru grinned.

“You got yourself a deal!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is for [graytheglowinggay](http://archiveofourown.org/users/graytheglowinggay/), who asked for the link to the prompts I've been using for this story. The original prompts can be found [here](http://mighty-poffertjes.tumblr.com/post/149158562729/send-me-a-ship-and-one-of-these-and-ill-write-a) and also in the beginning notes in Chapter 1.   
> I hope this helps and have fun using these prompts.


	18. The Things You Said When You Were Scared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demi's scared, but luckily, her dads are always there for her.

“Daddy! Papa!” Demora whimpered, shaking Hikaru, who was lying on top of Ben.

The men cracked their eyes open and looked over to their daughter, who was standing at the side of their bed. Her eyes were red and puffy and her face was soiled.

“Oh, Dem-sweetie,” Hikaru cooed, sitting up and bringing Demora into his arms.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Ben murmured, wrapping his arms around both of them and gently easing them down onto the bed.

“I had a nightmare,” She sobbed, pressing her face into Hikaru’s chest.

Ben and Hikaru shared a sympathetic look.

“Oh sweetie,” They both purred.

“Come here,” Ben whispered, turning on his side and motioning for her to come closer. She let out several sobs before detaching from Hikaru and clutching onto Ben’s shirt. After she moved, Hikaru shuffled closer and wrapped his arms around Demora, while Ben did the same. They took turns mumbling reassurances and giving little kisses for Demora.

“It’s okay.”

_Kiss_

“You’re safe.”

_Kiss Kiss  
_

“We’re here.”

_Kiss  
_

“We’re going to protect you.”

_Kiss Kiss Kiss_

* * *

 

“Can you tell me a story?” Demora asked, after Hikaru and Ben had calmed her down.

“Sure thing, sweetie,” Hikaru mumbled, placing a soft kiss into her hair. “Which story do you want to hear?”

“A space story,” She yawned, nuzzling Ben’s chest.

“Okay,” Hikaru chuckled, “Have I ever told you the tale of the shrinking bridge crew...?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I already did a nightmare for one of these, but that was Hikaru who had a nightmare and I really like how this one turned out. So I decided to leave it as it was.


	19. The Things You Said When We Were The Happiest We Ever Were

“I can’t believe how fast she grew up,” Hikaru hummed, resting his head on Ben’s shoulder.

Ben smiled, “She’s done so much in so little time.”

The two men shared a look before they turned back to the couple in the center of the room. The couple was dancing beautifully, their steps were perfect and their movements were fluid and elegant. 

Hikaru and Ben beamed at the sight of their daughter dancing with her new spouse. They were overjoyed when Demora’s partner, asked for permission to marry Demora. Without a second thought, Hikaru and Ben gave them their blessing. The next day, the men received a video call from an ecstatic Demora, who shrieked happily, while showing off her new ring.

 

When their dance ended, the couple gave a quick bow, before heading back to their table to get some more food. Hikaru and Ben joined them at their table after several minutes of dancing. 

“Hey, do you mind if we join you?” Hikaru asked as he and Ben approached the table.

The couple smiled. 

“Of course not,” Demora spoke.

“Have a seat,” Akemi added, gesturing to the empty chairs.

“So, how’s the married life?” Hikaru joked.

Demora face palmed, “Dad! We’ve been married for, what… three hours? We haven’t even left the building yet.”

“Excuse my husband’s horrible jokes, Akemi,” Ben smiled, placing his hands on Hikaru’s arm. 

The girl laughed, “Don’t worry about it, my mother is the exact same way. She’s makes more dad jokes than my dad does.”

“And might I add, I love your dress,” Ben added, “It’s beautiful.”

Akemi beamed, “Thank you, I like Demi’s more, but I’m probably just being biased.”

“Well if it’s any consolation,” Demora interjected, laughing, “I like your dress more than mine.”

“Maybe we should switch,” Akemi joked.

Demora leaned forward and kissed Akemi. She pulled back to whisper into her ear, “Maybe we could do that when we get back to the hotel...”

Akemi giggled, “I like that idea… I like that a lot.”

Hikaru cleared his throat, startling the newlyweds, “Well, we’re going to leave you two alone.”

“Oh, Dad, you don’t have to-”

“If you need us, we’ll be on the dance floor,” Ben interjected, with a bright smile, before he dragged Hikaru into the crowd of drunk dancers.

“I’m so happy for them,” Hikaru murmured.

“It reminds me of our wedding,” Ben added.

“They’re going to be together for a long time...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an idea that Dem met Akemi either on a starship or in the academy. And now, several years later, they work on the same ship together. Perhaps Akemi is Dem's first officer or her CMO or something similar.


	20. The Things You Said That I Wasn’t Meant To Hear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demora accidentally hears something she's not supposed to. But that's okay. It all works out in the end.

Demora never intended to eavesdrop on her parents. But when she heard them talking about taking her somewhere special for her birthday tomorrow, she couldn’t help herself.

“Okay, so we’ve narrowed it down to the Holo Arcade and the Space Adventures Dinner Plaza.” Hikaru spoke out loud.

“Shh, keep your voice down,” Ben hushed, clapping his hand over the man's mouth to keep him quiet. “Do you want Dem to hear you?” He asked before removing his hand from Hikaru's face.  


Demora giggled from the closet, where she was hiding. 

“Sorry,” Hikaru whispered, just loud enough for Demora to hear him. “So which will it be?”

“I don’t know,” Ben muttered, “The arcade has a lot of interesting games, but they’re not necessarily the best for a 7 year old. But the Dinner Plaza, is space themed and she will love it, but it’s less interactive. Will she like something like that?”

Hikaru shrugged, “I think she would... but what I think, is completely different from what she thinks.”

Ben nodded his head. “Yeah, you’re right,” He agreed, “But I think the Dinner Plaza would be a safer option, because we live in space and she does have a fascination with space and Starfleet.”

“Okay,” Hikaru chirped, “Space Adventures, it is!”

 

Demora could hardly contain her excitement. She let out a loud squeal by mistake and covered her mouth with her hands, as if to stop the noise that had already left her lips. Unfortunately for her, a few moments later, Hikaru and Ben opened the closet she was hiding in and found her.

“I’m sorry for listening,” She apologizes, her head hanging down to the ground.

Hikaru and Ben both laugh, brightly.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Hikaru smiles, kneeling in front of her.

“Yeah, Dem,” Ben adds, pulling Demora, by her hands, out of the closet.

“You’re not mad?” She asks, looking up at her parents.

“No we’re not,” Hikaru answers.

“We just want to take you out for a fun night,” Ben adds.

“And we’re happy that you’re so excited about going,” Hikaru continues.

“It’s going to be so much fun!” Ben finishes, kissing Demora’s cheek.

“Okay,” Demora smiles, “I want to have fun!

“It will be much better than standing in some closet,” Ben laughs, pulling out their jackets before shutting the closet with a click.

“Besides, a closet is a horrible place to be...” Hikaru trails off, trying to make a joke that he knows only Ben will understand.

“Why?” Demora asked, confused.

Ben smiles and shakes it off. “Fortunately for you, you do not have to fear or worry about being in the closet,” Ben answers before lowering his voice and mumbling, “That is if you are in the closet...”

“Alright, let’s all go make some dinner!” Hikaru cheers, changing the subject.

The Sulu family is met with a series of groans as they drag their feet towards the kitchen.


	21. The Things You Said When We Were on Top of the World

“Daddy!” Demora babbles, pointing at Hikaru.

Hikaru and Ben share a shocked and startled look.

“Did Dem just...” Ben starts.

“Call me Daddy?” Hikaru finishes.

But before the two of them can answer that question, their attention is turned back to Demora who utters an excited, “Papa!”

And that’s when the two men forget how to breathe. Because this moment, this beautiful moment, will be irreplaceable, it will be unforgettable, it will be a part of them forever.

“Yes, yes that’s right Dem!” Hikaru coos, lifting the 8 month old, up and into his arms. Ben wedges himself into Hikaru’s side, brushing the soft, delicate, black hairs out of the girl’s eyes. “She’s so beautiful,” Ben breathes.

“I can’t believe she’s ours,” Hikaru adds, pressing his forehead lightly against Demora’s, “Just ours. Not one of ours, but biologically, both of ours. ”

“I love her,” Ben whispers as he wraps an arm around Hikaru’s waist and uses his other hand to hold Demora’s tiny hands, in his large, bulky hand. Hikaru smiles and turns to his husband to give him a kiss. “I love her too,” He wails into the quiet night.

 

“Daddy! Papa!” Demora pouts before crying, “Daddy. Papa. Sad.”

Hikaru and Ben’s hearts both break simultaneously when they fully registered what Demora had said.

“Oh Dem,” Hikaru murmurs, kissing the infant’s cheeks.

“Daddy and Papa not sad,” Ben cooed, lightly squeezing her hands.

“Daddy and Papa happy!” Hikaru cheered, kissing her head several times.

“Hap?” Demora mumbled, looking up at her dads.

Hikaru and Ben smiled.

“Yes, happy!” Ben laughed.

“Very happy!” Hikaru agreed.

“Happy! Happy! Happy!”

Demora smiled, toothlessly and giggled loudly.

“Hap!” She beamed. Waving her hands around, excitedly.

  
This was one of Hikaru and Ben’s favourite stories, ever. It was the moment, that they knew, Demora was going to be an amazing and would make her fathers proud.


	22. The Things You Said After It Was Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben is scared and he doesn't want to lose Hikaru.

“We should get married.”

Hikaru almost thinks it’s a joke. The way Ben said it so casually, it seems so simple; so easy that when he turns back to Ben, all he says is, “I would love to.”

 

* * *

 

_Ben was terrified, unable to anything but watch as the giant… metal thing was lowered into Earth’s atmosphere. He could not move, his feet were glued to the spot, just outside his flower shop. He couldn’t run away, he couldn’t hide, he couldn’t even clean up the shattered flower pot at his feet; the one he dropped when he first saw the mechanism emerging from the clouds._

_“Oh please be okay,” He cried to himself, staring up at the sky. “Hikaru,” He pleaded when he saw a small ship enter the atmosphere and shoot down the mechanical structure, “Please be alive...”_

_After Ben had heard about the attack on Vulcan, the destroyed Fleet ships and saw the attempted attack on Earth, he couldn’t wait any longer. He needed to ask Hikaru now. He needed to ask him if he wanted to be his husband._

 

* * *

 

Ben looked back at Hikaru, shocked, “Wow, you said yes… you really said yes, you… Oh my gosh!” He laughed, breathlessly.

“Did you think I would say no?” Hikaru asked, grabbing Ben’s hands.

“It’s just… I can’t believe this is happening,” Ben smiled before kissing Hikaru firmly, “I couldn’t bare the thought of losing you and now… I never have to worry about that.”

“Well, believe it,” Hikaru laughed, “Because I’m your fiancé and there’s no way you’re getting rid of me now!”

Ben beamed with tears in his eyes. He pulled Hikaru into a long kiss that left them both feeling giddy.


	23. The Things You Said When [make your own]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The things you said when [we were all alone]

They had been retired for 12 years. Hikaru had ended his Starfleet career when he was only 57 and joined Ben in his lab to work for 3 more years before they both retired, Hikaru at 60, Ben at 61. Demora had become Captain of her own ship, the USS Infinity and was out exploring deep space, while her fathers enjoyed the bliss of retirement.

 

The two of them were tangled together and buried under a pile of blankets. Neither of them wanted to move, so they lay quietly in bed together.

“Can you believe how old we’ve gotten?” Hikaru chuckled, his nose wedged against Ben’s collarbone.

Ben scoffed, “I’m older than you, you dick...”

“Only by 7 months,” Hikaru replied.

“Still, my cold December ass is older than you,” Ben answered, pointing a finger at Hikaru.

“Your cold December ass?” Hikaru repeated, laughing, “That is… only you would ever say that Ben.”

“Oh hush,” Ben muttered, feeling extremely embarrassed, “I’m still jealous because you got July for a birthday and I’m stuck with December... no one likes December.”

“I like December,” Hikaru hummed. “It’s the month were you can lie in bed, under the covers, with your significant other,” Hikaru paused to poke his elbow at Ben a few times, “And do absolutely nothing, all day, while staying warm and toasty in bed.”

Ben smiled, “Isn’t that what we’re doing right now?”

“Yeah... so?”

“It’s August, Hikaru. Lying in bed all day, isn’t exclusively a December thing.” Ben argued, rolling his eyes.

“I never said it was. The difference is, in December you don’t feel guilty about staying in bed all day, you have an excuse, it’s cold and everyone stays in bed or inside during the winter. Plus, it gives you some relaxing time before you have to start your day.”

“Well, you do have a point,” Ben shrugged, “I think I can see why you like December.”

“Plus the baking is incredible.”

“Oooo, and the big family meals!”

“The music,” Hikaru added.

“Hot chocolate,” Ben hummed, closing his eyes at the thought.

“And the presents!”

“Hikaru!” Ben let out, looking unamused.

“What?” Hikaru asked, “One of us had to say it. It’s one of the best things about December.”

Ben sighed, “I know… you’re right.”

 

_“So what are you favourite things about July...?”_


End file.
